There's me, with my daughter, Lucy, at our first Women's 4 miler in 2018. This race was part of a larger goal to return to running postpartum. I trained for and ran the race alongside a friend I had met at Bend's lactation support group. Hence Lucy's sign about the importance of breasts to her at that time. Those first days and weeks of nursing where so challenging. We struggled through poor latching, oversupply, clogged ducts, and lactation consultants. I felt like my body was betraying me. Eventually, with guidance and encouragement from all the new mom friends I'd made, it clicked. I went on to breastfeed both of my babies for 18 months.
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of contracting breast cancer later in life. When I ran my first race, my mother had been in remission for close to a decade, and she remains in remission. She emphasized how important events like the Four Miler can be, for raising funds for groundbreaking research, and raising awareness of the importance of cancer screenings.
This year will be my fourth Four Miler, and I have a new inspiration. Last year, my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy at age 45. She is the image of health - she maintains a healthy diet and active lifestyle, avoids products with lots of questionable chemicals, and abstains from alcohol and tobacco. She felt like her body was betraying her. Genetic testing could not confirm any known genetic causes for her cancer. And yet, she is now the third woman in our direct family line to develop breast cancer. This increases my risk, my daughter's risk, and my niece's risk of developing breast cancer. My sister, fortunately, is also remission now.
Ladies, get your mammograms! Both my mother's and my sister's cancers were detected not by self-exams (which are still super important!!), but though routine screening. Women with average risk, aged 40-74 should have one every year or two. Talk to your doctor about your risk.
And, if you can, donate, and help us support research to treat and prevent breast cancer, so that fewer women and families have to experience the pain and trauma of a breast cancer diagnosis.
